


A Gift of Peace

by stargatefan_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-07-28
Updated: 2003-07-28
Packaged: 2018-10-06 21:47:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10345221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stargatefan_archivist/pseuds/stargatefan_archivist
Summary: SUMMARY:  Jack has an accident. Daniel receives an unexpected gift.WARNINGS:  Medical stuff, not graphic.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Yuma, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [Stargatefan.com](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Stargatefan.com). To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [StargateFan Archive Collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/StargateFan_Archive_Collection).

A Gift of Peace

##  A Gift of Peace

##### Written by Jude  
Comments? Write to us at [ancienttruth@comcast.net](mailto:ancienttruth@comcast.net)

  * SPOILERS:  None 
  * SUMMARY:  Jack has an accident. Daniel receives an unexpected gift. 
  * WARNINGS:  Medical stuff, not graphic. 
  * G [Hc] [A] 



* * *

Part I 

Daniel Jackson thought the sound he was hearing was the phone ringing, but he wasn't sure. What a pain. Why didn't that awful noise just stop and leave him be? But, no, it was insistent and seemed to be getting louder. Finally he realized that it was his phone, at his bedside, and somehow it was his job to try to answer the damned thing. Dark. The bedside clock said 3:12, and Daniel knew it was 3:12 AM, the middle of the night. Whoever had dialed his phone number at this ungodly hour of the night better have a real good reason for waking him up.

" 'Lo?" God, he could barely speak. He shook his head a little, trying to wake up, and fumbled for the light at his bedside. The sudden glare of light made him wince. 

"Doctor Jackson?" It was General Hammond. Now Daniel was concerned that something was wrong. In his five years at the SGC, the general had rarely called him after hours. He woke up even more, fumbling for his glasses and trying to put them on his face with one hand. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and hunched there with his feet on the cold floor. 

"Yes, General Hammond, it's me. What's up?" Still not sounding like himself, but at least he felt halfway awake. 

"Look, Daniel, I'm real sorry to wake you with this news." Daniel could hear the general take a deep breath. He sounded weary too, and Daniel thought quickly that he had probably been woken up from a sound sleep as well.

"It's Colonel O'Neill... there's been an auto accident on the road down off the mountain." Daniel felt his heart go cold, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. He found himself mutely listening for more, and dreading the next words. 

"Son? Are you there?" Poor General Hammond, he probably couldn't figure out if Daniel was still hanging on or what. He spoke into the silence. 

"The accident actually occurred a couple of hours ago. It took the paramedics and police a while to get his ID and then to get through to me via the base operator. I guess they didn't know who to call. Daniel? Are you still there?" 

Daniel sat there listlessly, his brain empty of everything except for these two facts: this was about Jack, and Jack was in trouble. 

After a pause during which he willed himself to speak coherently, Daniel finally said, "Ah...yes, General, I'm here. God, this is awful. What happened? Is he OK?" So many questions occurred to him all at once, with such endlessly frightening possibilities, he was having a hard time deciding what to ask first. 

"I don't know much. They said it was serious, and he's been rushed into surgery at the Air Force Academy Hospital. I've called Major Carter, and she and I are on our way over now. Can you meet us in the ER over there?" 

"Of course. I'll meet you there within the hour. It was snowing pretty hard when I came home earlier. Might slow all of us up a little. But I'll get there as soon as I can. And General? Thanks for calling me. Please drive carefully." 

He clicked off the phone and laid it on the rumpled bed beside him. He took a deep breath, slowly trying to get the cobwebs out of his head. He had to think. He left his bedroom, peeling off the tee shirt and sweatpants he'd worn to bed, just leaving them on the floor in his wake. In the bathroom, he quickly brushed his teeth and ran a brush through his hair. 

He found some jeans and a sweater to throw on, stuck his feet in his boots and grabbed up his wallet, keys, cell phone and gloves off the table where he'd left them the night before. His coat was by the door on its hook.

Telling himself to slow down and try to think, he mentally ran over a checklist of things he should bring with him. He couldn't think of anything else, so after locking up, he quickly went down to his car in the garage beneath his apartment building. He started it up, the heat running as high as he could set it. He'd returned home such a short while ago, the engine was still partially warm. He knew he'd be warm enough soon, at least physically. He didn't know if he'd actually feel warm until he knew how Jack was doing. 

With another sigh, he turned on the car's lights and left the garage, facing the snowy world outside. It was quiet out there, the middle of the night. Everything was still, the heavy wet flakes coming down in the lights from his car. He was glad again for the Subaru WRX Wagon he'd decided to buy, knowing there might be times he'd have to drive up and down the mountain in conditions like this. The four wheel drive was a godsend in bad conditions.

He thought wryly to himself that anyone with any sense at all was home right now, safe in bed. He reminded himself to drive carefully as he started the familiar route to the Air Force Academy campus, trying to force his mind away from Jack's condition. Daniel would know soon enough what was going on, and he'd make himself deal with it then. 

PART II 

His thoughts went to Jack and their friendship. They had met six years ago, when Daniel had been hired to come on board with the Air Force, to decipher the cartouches on the Stargate they'd found so many years before in Egypt. He and Jack had butted heads so much, they'd even learned to laugh about it after a while. They would point fingers at each other, finish each other's sentences, and holler at each other when necessary. They were both stubborn and thick headed in their own ways. And oh, how they loved each other like brothers. Each of them had earned respect in the other's eyes, grudging at first, but genuine and permanent.

Daniel knew that friendship and camaraderie like that didn't come along more than once in a lifetime. They fought, yes, but they cared. They watched each other's sixes. And no one else better criticize the other in their presence, or there'd be hell to pay. Meanwhile, Daniel could call Jack a 'son of a bitch!!' and Jack could counter, 'geek!' and later they'd be okay again. Always okay. 

Daniel knew that Teal'c was off-world, visiting Master Bra'tac on Chulak. They'd all just returned from a difficult mission on P2X-344 just last night. After a very short debriefing with the General, they had changed in the locker rooms at the base and headed out. Sam and Daniel went to their respective homes, Teal'c returned to the gateroom to travel back to Chulak, and Jack... Jack had said he had some paperwork to do. He had wanted to get it out of the way so he could go home without it hanging over his head. 'Have a real rest and down time', he'd said. 'Sure, Jack; sure, Colonel; sure, O'Neill', they'd all said at once. 'We'll see you in 48 hours, when we go out again'. 

Daniel shook his head, thinking about this last time he'd seen Jack. It had all been so routine. Sure, the mission to P2X-344 had been difficult. All the missions were in their own way. This planet had been uninhabited as far as they could see. They'd done a lot of walking, taken soil samples, photographs and meteorological readings. Two days in the outdoors, spent at the mercy of the wind and cold and dampness, had worn them out. And Daniel knew that Jack never really relaxed off-world. He always slept with one eye open, watching out for his kids. He knew Teal'c did the same. Time enough for real sleep back on earth, in their own beds. But in the locker room, they had all been relaxed. Things had gone as well as could be expected on the mission. Daniel wondered if they would have said or done anything differently if they'd known what would happen later that night. They'd never know now.

"Oh, Jack," Daniel heard himself saying softly in the darkness of his car, his eyes concentrating on the snowy road in front of him. "Please be okay."

The windshield wipers did their job, swishing almost silently back and forth. The heat poured out of the vents, and Daniel just let it wash over him, grateful for the warmth. He felt so chilled inside, like he'd never really be warm again, and knew it was a kind of emotional shock setting in. He was almost grateful for having to drive. It gave himself something to think about besides Jack. 

Daniel had dealt with so much loss in his life, loss of loved ones whom he still missed every single day, that sometimes he wondered if he could bear it if anyone else he loved were to die. His parents had been killed in a freak accident when he was only 8. And then his beloved wife, Sha'uri, had been lost to him: first to the Goa'uld, and then finally to the desperate firing of Teal'c's staff weapon in order to save Daniel's life when Sha'uri/Ammonet was attacking Daniel with her ribbon device. And now to find himself rushing to the bedside of his critically injured best friend seemed like some kind of waking nightmare. These thoughts were the ones he willfully pushed aside to think about the snow, the road, the heat warming his face, anything ordinary, sane and routine. To think about Jack, and his own creeping doubt about Jack's future, was an impossibility right now if Daniel wanted to keep it together for his friend. 

Soon enough he arrived at the hospital. The parking lot was almost empty at this early hour, so he had no trouble parking close to the emergency entrance. He noticed Sam's and the General's cars parked near the entrance in the same lot, the tire tracks from their vehicles still visible where they'd pulled in. He walked through the newly fallen snow, noticing even in his preoccupation how it sparkled with tiny ruby lights under the glow of the big red emergency sign. The sign looked almost ominous to him as he hurried beneath it into the brightness of the hospital corridor. His heart was full of foreboding as terrified thoughts skittered around in his mind like little desperate mice. 

Part III  


Squinting a bit in the light, stamping the snow off his boots, and impatiently swiping at the snow in his hair, his eyes searched around for a familiar face. He found Sam and General Hammond standing together, talking with someone who was obviously one of the ER doctors. Daniel hurried over to them, anxious to hear whatever news there was. It was warm in the hospital, and he took off his gloves and then his coat as he moved towards his friends.

"...and he should be out of recovery and in the intensive care unit within the hour," the doctor was saying. 

Daniel looked from one face to the other as all four of them exchanged looks. Sam and General Hammond obviously didn't know where to even start filling him in. With a nervous little smile, Daniel held out his hand to the doctor.

"Daniel Jackson. I'm a good friend and coworker of Jack's." Then Daniel wrapped his arms around himself, his jacket trapped beneath them against his body. Hugging himself felt reassuring somehow. 

"Hello, Mr. Jackson. I'm Dr. Scott. I'm chief of the ER here... I'm sorry we have to meet under these circumstances. As I was explaining to your friends here, Colonel O'Neill is lucky to be alive. He was coming down the mountain and lost control of his truck. We're not sure yet about the details, but he was found off the road. His truck had turned over on its roof and was pretty badly mangled. They had to use the Jaws of Life to get the Colonel out, and then he was rushed here.

We managed to stabilize him and then we rushed him to surgery because of internal bleeding. He'd lost a lot of blood. He's also had a nasty bump to the head, and was pretty incoherent. We'll be running some tests on him to make sure there's no damage due to the concussion. We're also monitoring his brain function and spinal pressure. The next 24 hours will tell us a lot. Meanwhile," here the doctor reached out and placed one hand on Daniel's arm and another on Sam's, "you can certainly go to see him as soon as he's in the ICU, and we'll keep you all up to date on what's going on. Does he have family we need to call?" 

Mute shaking of two light haired heads and one bald one.

"No? OK. Well, if you think of anything you need, please call me. You can go up to the ICU waiting room on the fifth floor, and someone will be in to talk to you. Like I said, it shouldn't be more than an hour or so now." The doctor gave them a tiny, sympathetic smile and walked away back to his emergency room. 

Sam, Hammond and Daniel just stood there, lost in their individual thoughts concerning their injured friend, and all the unanswered and unanswerable questions they each had. Three pairs of worried blue eyes shared a look. Daniel shook the General's hand and then his arms went around Sam for a second. He could feel a shiver run through her, and he gave her a little squeeze before releasing her. His voice came out just above a whisper. "Anybody know where the elevators are in this place?" 

Apparently the General did, since he'd been there many times to visit sick and injured people in his command. Indicating the corridor to their right, he took Sam's elbow and they all started trooping towards the center of the building. Sam and Daniel traded glances a couple of times. It was hard to know who was more worried. 

Part IV 

The elevator ride had been a silent one. As the doors whooshed open and the three stepped into the quiet hall, they took a moment to get their bearings. Seeing a sign on the wall indicating the direction of the ICU, they proceeded down the corridor and then turned in at a nondescript room marked as the waiting room. They each found a chair and huddled together. They had the room to themselves at this early hour. 

Finally the General spoke.

"I'll go and find the nurse's station in a moment and see if we can get an ETA for Jack. I've been here before, and the staff is always helpful. But I want you two to try to not be so scared. This is rough, and we all know it. But Jack is in great shape, and he's a fighter. He'll get the best care here, and we just have to hang on to the belief that in time, he'll be okay."

He blinked a couple of times at Sam and Daniel, giving them a tiny tight smile, almost like he'd been talking to himself. But they were used to his being in charge, and they were used to his knowing what to do next, and they wanted to believe him so badly! 

Finally Sam found her voice.

"Thank God they found him in time. It was so late when it happened, and the weather is so bad out there..."

She bit her bottom lip and shrugged her shoulder a little. Daniel felt so damned helpless, and hated that feeling. He knew that Sam must be feeling the same way. He hated Jack being here like this, knew he'd feel helpless and would hate it too.

Daniel just shook his head a little. God, this was like some awful dream. He wanted to make Sam feel better, and he wanted to run away, and he wanted Jack to be at home safe in his own bed, and he wanted so many things he couldn't do or be, it almost overwhelmed him for a second. 

"It's okay, Sir. Why don't you go see what you can find out? I'll stay here with Sam, and we'll wait for you to see if there's news."

General Hammond nodded at both of them and got up to find someone in charge.

Daniel turned to Sam, and Sam turned to Daniel in the same moment. Time for another hug. This time, Daniel just held her. He could hear her sniffling a little against his sweater. Shivering again. He rubbed a little circle on her back and murmured to her, as much to reassure himself as her.

"Oh, Sam, he'll be okay. This is all a horror show, but Jack would want us to buck up..." A little nod from the blond head under his chin. She was listening. "The General will find out what we need to know, we'll get through this..."

More sniffling. Finally she sat back and dabbed at her eyes. She looked so young and vulnerable without the make up she usually wore. God, they were all so tired. And this was just beginning. With a little sigh from both of them, they sat back to wait. Daniel wondered if there were a coffee machine he could find. He'd get up to look for one in a moment. 

"Did anyone call Janet?" Daniel asked. Sam shook her head. 

"No, it was so late. We decided this news could wait at least until 0600\. Nothing she could do here..." Sam checked her watch. It was already close to 4:30. She felt her resolve to wait until later to call Janet waning. She desperately wanted her reassuring presence and needed her to be a go between for them and the staff. "What do you think, Daniel? Should I call her now? I have my cell phone with me." 

"I dunno. I think maybe she'll be mad if we don't let her know soon. She's pretty protective of all of us, and she thinks she owns our bodies sometimes!" This was meant as a joke, and he was rewarded with a tiny Sam smile. "Yeah, maybe we should call her," he said. "I've got my cell too. Want me to do it?"

Sam nodded. He told her he'd be right back, and then he went to the hospital lobby and placed the call to Janet. The phone rang several times, and Janet sounded pretty confused at first, but when she heard the news she said she'd be over as soon as she could. Daniel warned her about the driving, and she promised to be careful. As he hurried back to Sam, he thought to himself that they both would be relieved when their friend and doctor finally came in. They knew she'd take charge of Jack, of them, and of the whole damned mess. 

Back in the waiting room with Sam, the General walked back in, giving them a little wave of his hand, indicating that they should go with him.

"Jack will be up here soon," he reported. "Come with me while we talk to one of the nurses. She's going to fill us in a little." Mutely, Sam and Daniel followed him out into the hall. 

"We called Dr. Fraiser," Daniel said in a low voice.

The General indicated he heard with a nod of approval. They walked down the corridor and through some double doors marked with a sign that said, IMMEDIATE FAMILY ONLY PLEASE LIMIT YOUR VISITS TO FIVE MINUTES OF EVERY HOUR . It was so hushed in the area, just the beeping of heart monitors, quiet murmurings from the staff, soft footfalls as they went from room to room to check on the patients who were there.

Daniel felt his heart clench again with that icy hand that seemed to want to keep its grasp on him. He swallowed and willed away his fatigue and terror. Janet was coming. Janet would know what to do. Please, please, let me know what to do too... 

PART V 

Sam and Daniel were back in that awful little waiting room again. The General had used his considerable influence to gain them access to the staff lounge in the ICU, where the coffee makers were never empty. So Daniel was nursing his second cup of coffee, slumped over on the couch, pinching the bridge of his nose, and trying to get a couple of coherent thoughts to line up. Janet had come in, said hello and given them all tight little hugs of reassurance. Then she had almost immediately disappeared into the ICU to be brought up to speed on Jack's condition, current whereabouts, and whatever else she could find out. Daniel knew that Janet had probably gone down to recovery to talk to the surgeons there, to get her hands on Jack herself, wanting to be reassured that all that could be done for him was being done. 

The time seemed to be dragging by. It was only 6AM, still dark outside. The snow was still raging on. Daniel just knew it was gonna be one of those days. He was worried about Sam. She was so close to all of them. She felt each one's pain so deeply. It was hard for her when any of the team was hurt or suffering in any way. Daniel reached out to hold her hand and give her a little smile. She smiled back, making a valiant effort.

"Hey, Daniel, I'm glad you're here..." she murmured.

He just nodded. Where else could any of them be? He'd be glad when Teal'c came back from Chulak, too. He knew that General Hammond had left word for Teal'c to be summoned home. Teal'c would be there just as soon as he could. The four members of SG-1 were a family, brought together by duty and necessity, held together by mutual respect, dedication, loyalty, and yes, love. 

Daniel was getting restless, and so excused himself to use the restroom and walk the corridor a little. Sam said she'd wait for Janet to come back and would come and find him. Out in the corridor, it was a little cooler, and Daniel found that the walking helped clear his mind and got his blood flowing a little. The inactivity had been as awful as the uncertainty, in a way. He used the restroom and washed his hands, splashing water on his face. Just that little activity felt better than sitting there had. He wandered the corridor for a ways, just looking at the doors, nodding to passing staff members who went by. And then one door in particular caught his eye.

The sign said CHAPEL. On a whim, he opened it and looked inside, curious. He'd been in many sanctuaries, both on Earth and off world, and he was endlessly curious about them, about what the people who had constructed them had needed and wanted, about what they were used for in this current time. 

This was just a big room, really. But it sure didn't look like a hospital room. There were pews instead of chairs. Only 5 rows of pews, with a center aisle and two side aisles, like a little church or temple. There was a stained glass window in the front. It was a picture of an angel, a male angel with outspread wings, dressed in flowing white robes, like most angel pictures. This one had a beatific face, kind blue eyes, longish light brown hair. The artist had made the eyes look right at you, wherever you were in the room. The window was backlit by some artificial light source. The background behind the angel was all done in bright, clear colors of dark red, purple, dark cobalt blue, forest green and gold.

Daniel went right up to it, examining it the way he would any interesting art work he encountered. He noticed the altar table in front of him. It was decorated with a cross, and a Star of David, and there were other less familiar faith symbols there that he recognized from his studies in the past. Someone had placed a yellow rose in a bud vase. He leaned down to smell it and was rewarded with that little bit of life as its pleasant smell registered in his mind.

He reached out to touch the open Bible that was there, along with a copy of the Koran, a Book of Mormon and a small devotional book open to today's date. He ran his fingers over the books. Books were his first love, predating the love he'd developed for the other aspects of his work. Still, to this day, his happiest moments were when he was alone, poring over some text, seeking answers to whatever current thing he was working on. And these books he knew to be beloved by many people of different faiths. In the past he'd read them himself, carefully cataloguing away their ideas in his fertile mind for the day when he might need that information for some reason. He'd mentally shelved all of their different teachings, the way he shelved all the information he gathered, never really considering that any of it was meant for him personally. 

He just stood there for a moment, biting his lower lip. Jack was always joking about searching for the meaning of life out there somewhere in the galaxy. And SG-1 saving the world. That was a running gag too. All they knew was that they had to be out there, fighting evil wherever they found it, representing the Tau'ri as best they could, and hoping against hope that they'd live through the current crisis or battle, whatever it was. Sometimes they'd felt very alone in those battles, and sometimes Daniel had found himself wishing he could believe there was something or someone in charge of this big seemingly chaotic universe. Surely they couldn't really be as alone as they felt sometimes, could they? 

He shook his head a little. He looked around the room again, and then went to sit in the second row of the pews. It seemed natural to rest his arms on the pew in front of him and lower his forehead onto his arms. It just felt so good to close his eyes and rest his head. He could feel the grittiness in his eyes. He willed himself to relax, grasping at this moment of peace.

A few minutes passed during which he wondered if he was actually going to sleep. To be sure he stayed awake, he lifted his head again and thoughtfully regarded the back of the pew in front of him, where his own hands rested. He felt almost physically surrounded by a sense of serenity. He could feel his fear and fatigue fade away.

Gradually he became aware of a change in his attitude about Jack and their current crisis. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he was sure he did know that somehow, everything was going to be all right. Yes, Jack would be all right. But so would he. And Sam and Teal'c and the rest of the SGC. And even humankind itself. Somehow, whatever happened, all would be well.

This revelation surprised him, even as he received it in his heart. He lifted his eyes to the angel countenance in front of him. He wasn't sure what was happening to him, or why, but he didn't question the reality of it. He felt encouraged, and he was glad. There would be time for thinking about this more later. There would be time for study, and time for deeper searching. For now, this simple reassurance was like a balm to his soul, and he sighed a little to himself and just basked in the warmth of it. A couple more minutes went by. He listened to himself breathe in and out, and he received the peace of this place like the gift he knew it to be. 

Nodding to himself, he got up and went quickly back to be with Sam. 

Part VI 

Soon enough, Janet and General Hammond were back... Jack had just come up from recovery, the nurses were getting him settled, the team could go see him soon. 

"He's doing okay," Janet tried to reassure them. "The surgery went as well as it could. He'll be pretty sore for a while, like you would after any abdominal operation. But Dr. Winchester said he didn't foresee any long lasting problems. I spoke to the neurosurgeon on call, too. He'll be bringing the Colonel down a little later for a CT scan and MRI. Very soon, actually. Dr. Winchester seems to feel that he's only suffering from a bad concussion, but they are pretty conservative. They want to make really sure that they aren't missing anything."

Sam took tissues out of her pocket, and wiped at her eyes a little. This all sounded like good news, the best news they could have hoped for. But Sam still looked terrified. Daniel knew that she was as overtired and stressed as he was. He knew too that he probably felt a little more hopeful than she because of the peace he'd received in the chapel. He thought to himself that he'd have to share that experience with Sam and Teal'c when the opportunity presented itself. Daniel slipped his arm around Sam's shoulder, and she leaned into him. 

In a low voice, Daniel said, "Janet, why don't you and the General see Jack first, and then Sam and I could go in after? I just think we shouldn't all troop in there together. The sign on the doors says two at a time, short visits?" Janet nodded in confirmation. That would be a good idea. She and the General left again to see Jack. Sam was still crying, but Daniel could tell it was from at least a measure of relief this time. He felt like she could use a couple of minutes to compose herself before they saw Jack. 

"I know I really look like I'm losing it here..." she confided to him. "But thank God it at least sounds like he'll be OK." She laughed a little bit, the irony of the whole thing hitting her. "You know, the Colonel will really hate this, as soon as he wakes up enough to realize what happened. All of us gathered around, like he's on his deathbed or something!!" Daniel smiled and nodded. Very true. But it was too bad! Jack would have done the same for them, and had, in fact, many times. Daniel knew that if he just added up all the hours Jack had sat at Daniel's bedside in that damned infirmary back on base, Jack could have gotten back about a month of his life. 

"Soon, Sam, soon. We'll be able to see him in a few minutes, and everything will seem better." 

Part VII 

But at first it didn't. It didn't seem better at all. Jack looked awful. He had bruises all over his face, the beginnings of a whopper of a shiner around his left eye, and his head was swollen on the left side where he'd probably knocked it against the inside of the truck. He was bandaged all over his midsection. IV lines were running into both arms. An oxygen mask was on his face. But his dark brown eyes were open, watching them as Daniel and Sam came into his room quietly. The lights were low, and the machines were humming.

Daniel took in the reality of the medical setting, all the IV bags and the heart monitor. He saw the cardiac resuscitation equipment with the paddles ready. He saw the ventilator equipment off to the side, waiting for any emergency use where it might be required. And there was Jack, his friend, his CO, his mentor, his hero. And Jack was hurting and confused and looking so damned lost. This was not the Jack that they were used to seeing. Yeah, he'd had his share of troubles over the years going through the Stargate, but here, in this hospital, as a result of that stupid accident and the stupid snow storm, this seemed to hit home even more somehow.

Daniel was amazed that he could have all these various thoughts in the quick seconds it took to take the six steps to the left side of Jack's bed. Sam went over to the right. And there were Jack's eyes, looking wearily first at Daniel, then at Sam. They'd been told that he had morphine on board, and that he was probably in at least some pain and would probably fall asleep on them. Daniel was amazed to find him looking at them at all. 

Reaching out to lay a hand on Jack's forearm, mindful of the tubes and wires, Daniel leaned down a bit to look at Jack more directly.

"Hey, Jack..."

An enormous lump formed in his throat as his heart went out to the man. This prideful, arrogant warrior would have to be suffering much more than just physically. Daniel could feel the tears gathering in his own eyes and he willed himself not to blink. He knew if Jack saw them running down his face, Jack really would think he was dying for sure. He looked over at Sam. She seemed to be keeping herself together pretty well, probably for Jack's sake, and Daniel could see her trying to smile a little. She held onto Jack's right hand and leaned over too, so that she and Daniel almost had their heads together.

"Colonel... don't try to talk. We just wanted you to know that we're here for you. We will be here when you wake up again. They tell us you're going to be okay. Don't worry about anything, everything's gonna be okay."

They saw Jack nod a little, his eyes slowly blinking. He coughed a little and grimaced at the pain it caused him. He seemed to want to speak. 

Daniel was losing the battle with the tears. Oh, screw it, he thought. So Jack sees me cry over him. He's cried over me, so Jack will just have to get over it! This thought made him smile a little in what he hoped looked like reassurance.

"Don't try to talk, Jack. We'll be right outside. We'll come to visit whenever they let us. You just sleep, okay? I know everything's gonna be fine." He looked directly into Jack's questioning eyes. "I promise."

They were rewarded again by a little nod of understanding and a slow closing of Jack's eyes. 

Daniel and Sam lingered for a few moments, just gazing at Jack's poor battered face, drinking in the reality of his still being alive, still able to understand them. Daniel remembered the peace he'd been given in the hospital chapel, and again he felt its reassuring presence. Slowly, Daniel could feel the icy hand of dread that had been clenching at his heart slowly release its grip even more. He took a deep breath, accepted the tissues that Sam handed him over Jack's sleeping form, and wiped at his face. He took another deep breath, blowing it out between his lips. Wow. He felt like he'd been running a marathon. Maybe now the finish line was in sight.

He stepped away to look out the window of Jack's room. He blew his nose and wiped at his eyes and his glasses. Sam came up beside him and put her arm through his.

"He'll be okay, Daniel. You'll see." They gazed out at the snowy world. Out there, it would be a day with no school for the kids of Colorado Springs. It was a day to make snowmen and drink cocoa and watch TV and take lazy naps. Peaceful in its own way.

Daniel reached out and placed his palm on the cold window for a moment. He turned then to look at Sam's big blue eyes, and then they were sharing a hug again. He thought again how grateful he was to have this family after so many years of being alone. Yes, everything would be all right. In time. Just like an old gospel song he'd heard somewhere long ago, he indeed had peace like a river in his soul. Whatever happened here or any other place he found himself in the galaxy, he knew that he would never feel quite so alone again. And all would be well.

  

**The End**

  


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> AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is my first effort at writing fiction for more years than I'd hate to admit! I wrote this out of love for our beloved SG-1 team, especially Jack and Daniel. I hope this honors their friendship. This fic started out to be just for me, but with some encouragement from my new friends, I decided to share it. I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks to the invaluable assistance of my betas: Jo and Grizziesmom. You saved this story from the round file!! And lastly, I thank God, who gave me what talent I have for the written word, and also my inquiring mind that just wants to know!
> 
>    
> 

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>   
>  © July, 2003  The characters mentioned in this story are the sole property of  
> Showtime, and the Gekko Film Corporation. The Stargate, SG-1, the Gou'ald and  
> all other characters who have appeared in the series Stargate SG-1, together  
> with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA  
> Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corporation, and Glassner/Wright Double Secret  
> Productions Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement  
> upon those rights and is solely meant for entertainment purposes. All other  
> characters, the story idea, and the story itself are the sole property of the  
> author. Yadda.  
> 

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